Next Generation Supply Management Defined

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Daily Archives: March 27, 2013

Alliteration aside, the reality is that if you are looking for a modern sourcing or procurement solution, not only should you not exclude the EU, if you truly want to go global, and install global, you should probably focus in on the EU solution providers before making any decision. In today’s post we continue an explanation of why.

They understand that customer priorities differ by locality.

While this could have been included in the last point, it merits its own point because priorities do differ substantially between NA and the EU. While many North American companies will often trade functionality for usability — which is why there are so many flashy solutions out there across the spectrum of business solutions that are almost void of advanced functionality where optimization and analytics are concerned, the same is not true of the EU solution providers that, after the doctor‘s heart, favour functionality over form. That’s why many of the EU (import) solutions have deeper, and broader functionality but UIs that look like they were designed five to ten years ago. (Fortunately, with customer help, this is an easy fix. It’s easy to put a new paint job on a faded corvette. It’s much harder to turn an oldsmobile into a corvette.)

One way or the other, you have to be in Asia.

If you’re a global multi-national, you’re either buying from, or selling, to Asia — if not both! Most of the EU Supply Management companies have a larger footprint in Asia than most of their counterparts in the US. The EU, close to Asia, has not only been doing business with Asia for just as long as North America, but due to their ability to support multiple languages, and locales, from day one, had an easier job moving into Asia.

It reduces the chance that you will need two solutions.

While you want Best of Breed, the last thing you want is multiple best of breed solution providers if you can get away with one. Adding the EU providers to the list increases your chances that you can find a solution provider that will meet all of your needs.

In other words, you have at least five very important reasons to be seriously considering EU solution providers. Tune in tomorrow when we’ll summarize the situation.